A Heartgold Nuzlocke
by musicfrommykeyboard
Summary: A narration of a Heartgold Version Nuzlocke Challenge. Follow the adventures of Shad, a young trainer, as he works with his Pokemon to become the best there is, aspiring for the title of champion in the Pokemon League. He must overcome difficult battles, hardship, and the loss of comrades to achieve his goal. Rated T for battle sequences and death of characters.
1. Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

**Hello, and welcome to the first chapter of my Pokémon Nuzlocke Challenge! For those of you who don't know, a Nuzlocke Challenge is a special way to through a Pokémon game that makes it more difficult. I will briefly explain the rules so you can understand what I'll be doing:**

**If a Pokémon faints, it's dead. You must either release it or store it in the PC box forever. The point is, you can't use it again. No revives!**

**You may only catch a wild Pokémon if you have never caught a Pokémon from that area before, and only if it's the first wild Pokémon that you've ever encountered in that area, ever! So that means that you'll only get one Pokémon per area, and if you fail to catch it, (I.E. it faints, runs away, or you run out of Poké Balls,) then you're just plum out of luck.**

**Those are the rules! Now, this story will be following my playthrough on Pokémon Heartgold Version, and I will be writing these chapters to give a true story to the playthrough, as a large reason for a Nuzlocke Challenge is to give yourself an emotional experience with the journey, nicknaming your Pokémon and developing characters and personalities for them. Please enjoy the first chapter!**

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

The midmorning sun shone through an open bedroom window, illuminating the red carpeted floor. Fast asleep in his bed, a young boy snored softly, curled up in the blankets to keep the cool air of an early spring at bay. He was started from his sleep by a voice calling from down the stairs.

"Shad? Come on, honey! It's almost ten o' clock, time to get up!" shouted the woman.

"Coming, Mom!" the boy called back. He stirred and lifted himself up. A book slid off his chest and thudded onto the floor. He'd fallen asleep reading again. He couldn't remember how late he'd stayed up the night before, diving into the works of the legendary Pokémon scientist, Professor Oak.

Shad loved to read. More importantly, he loved to read about Pokémon. At age 14, it wasn't uncommon for a boy like him to already own a Pokémon and start their journey as a trainer. Unfortunately for Shad, he and his mother had only recently moved to New Bark Town from their old home where there were very few wild Pokémon to catch. The only trainer he knew then was an old man who had an aged Persian, and much disliked children in his house. Still, Pokémon never ceased to fascinate him, and he dreamed of one day becoming the Pokémon League Champion, just like his Idol, Red, who single-handed defeated Team Rocket and claimed the title of League Champion three years ago, just to disappear from society altogether.

Shad changed into a pair of jeans, put on some socks, put on his glasses and slipped on a plain brown t-shirt before sleepily walking downstairs. His mother was frying an egg in the kitchen. "Good morning", he said through a yawn.

"Good morning indeed! We had a visitor early this morning while you were snoozing; Professor Elm, from next door," said Shad's mother. She smiled as Shad's face lit up.

"Really? What did he want?" Shad sat down at the table, starting on his toast and waiting expectantly.

Shad's mother finished up the eggs and served both Shad and herself before sitting down. "He said he would like your help with some research he's doing. I told him you'd stop by his lab as soon as you got the chance."

"Holy miltank! That's so cool!" Shad stood up to leave.

"Oh no you don't mister!" his mother scolded. "You're not going anywhere until you finish your breakfast! I don't want you running around on an empty stomach."

Shad reluctantly sat back down and started shoveling in his eggs. His mother simply shook her head and watched as he scarfed down the remains of his food and chugged his glass of orange juice. He flew up from his seat, grabbed his coat from the closet and opened the front door, turning around to say, "Bye Mom! Thanks for breakfast, see you in a bit!"

"Remember to thank him! And be polite!" she shouted as he ran out the door.

Shad was stopped by Lyra, the girl who lived just across the street. She was playing with her Marill outside in the grass when she called out to him, "Good morning, Shad!"

"G'morning, Lyra!" he called back. Shad had only known Lyra for the few weeks he'd been in New Bark Town, but the two of them had become fast friends. It probably helped that she was the only one close to his age in the small town they lived in. "Playing with Marill, I see?"

"Yep! She's been practicing her Rollout attack!" Lyra responded happily. She smiled, "Say, what are you in such a big hurry for?"

"Oh, yeah! Professor Elm asked me to help out with some research today! Maybe he'll let me use one of his Pokémon!" Shad said excitedly.

"Wow! I hope so! I won't keep you any longer, then." She waved to Shad and turned back to her Pokémon. As Shad turned away, she suddenly had an afterthought and called out to him, "And be sure to show me if he lets you keep it!"

"Absolutely! Talk to you later!" Shad bolted for the lab. It was only a dozen or so yards from his house, and he rushed through the door, startling Elm's assistant into dropping a few papers. "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner, Professor Elm!" he called out, catching his breath.

"Nothing to worry about, Shad! We're in no big rush!" Elm laughed. He was dressed in a white lab coat and had on his thick glasses. "Come over to my station and I'll explain my assignment!"

"Ok!" Shad walked briskly to join him on the other side of the room. Shad had been in the lab several times before, but the amazing equipment and all the flashing lights still dazzled him. "So, are we studying the feathers of a Pidgeoto? Or perhaps dissecting a Poliwag?"

Professor Elm laughed again. "No, no, nothing like that I'm afraid. I need you to pick up a package from a friend of mine, known by most as Mr. Pokémon, on route 30. It's very important, but I haven't got the time to retreive it myself, you see, what with the lab results from Oak coming in-"

Shad lit up at the name of the great and famous Pokémon Professor. "You work with Professor Oak?" he said, cutting Elm off.

"Oh, well yes, we've been colleagues for a number of years!" Elm pulled a picture off his desk of a much younger Elm and Oak, standing side by side outside a large building, dressed in graduation gowns and holding what Shad assumed to be diplomas. "We were roommates in college and we've been working together ever since!" He put the picture back down, next to the one of him with his wife and son, and clasped his hands together. "Now then, back to your assignment! You will find Mr. Pokémon's house in the northeastern corner of route 30, just north of Cherrygrove City. Do you know where that is? I know you're new to the Johto Region."

"Yes, I've been there before," Shad said with a nod.

"Wonderful, then I'll send you on your way. But before you go…" Professor Elm walked over to a panel against the wall and pushed a button. Suddenly, a tube-like machine a little ways away opened up to reveal three Poké Balls. "I think you'll need a companion for the trip!"

Shad gasped in excitement. He pumped his fists into the air and shouted, "Yes! My first Pokémon!" He hurried over excitedly to the platform and examined the balls. "I can choose whichever one I want, right?" he asked as he surveyed them.

"Absolutely," Elm responded.

Shad looked at the labels carefully and then made his choice. He picked up the ball and tossed it into his hand, then wound up, throwing it into the middle of the room, shouting, "Totodile, I choose YOU!" A flash of red light revealed a blue reptilian creature.

"Toooootodile!" it shouted as it stretched its arms wide. "Man, it gets stuffy in there after a while!"

"Eep! You can talk?" Shad asked.

"Course I can! All Pokémon can!" Totodile responded. "So, I'm guessing you're my new master huh?"

"Yeah, my name's Shad! Nice to meet you!" Shad extended his hand out to him and kneeled down.

"Likewise," the Totodile responded, shaking Shad's hand.

"Got a name?" Shad asked.

"Nope!"

"Well, we can't leave you without a name." Shad stood up and sized up the Pokémon up and down and then decided. "You look like a 'Nick'. Sound good?"

"Nick…" he said, thinking to himself. "Yeah, I like it!"

"Awesome! Let's get going!" Shad turned towards the door.

"Great! What are we fighting?" Nick followed closely behind him.

"I honestly don't know. Oh, wait!" Shad laughed to himself. He ran back to Professor Elm and shook his hand. "Thank you so much, Professor! I won't let you down!"

"Good luck out there, and be careful!" Elm nodded.

Shad hurried back to join Nick, calling out behind him, "I will! Don't worry!" The walked out the door, and Shad thought it would be a good idea to check in with his mother before they left. On the way back to his house, Lyra spotted the two of them and hurried over with her Marill close behind.

"Aw, cute! It's a little Totodile!" she squealed. She patted Nick on the head, much to his disliking.

"Hey, hands off lady!" he shouted, nipping at her hand.

"Nick, be nice! She's a friend of mine," Shad scolded.

"Ugh… fine." He reluctantly allowed Lyra to rub his head, looking miserable the whole time. Lyra's Marill made a cute squeal threw herself onto Nick, hugging him. Nick's face turned beet red and he said, "Gah! No! No, I do not _cuddle_! I draw the line at cuddling!" He squirmed his way out of Marill's grasp feebly, producing laughs from Lyra and Shad.

"Alright, Nick, I've put you through enough. C'mon, let's show you to my mom. I'll catch up with you later Lyra," Shad said as he waved goodbye.

"Good luck!" called Lyra.

Shad and Nick entered the house. Shad called out, "Hey Mom, I'm back, and I brought a friend."

"Ooo, let's see it!" his mother called as she came down the steps from the upstairs, carrying his bag. "Aw, it's adorable! What's its name?"

"Nick, and hey, wait. You knew I was getting a Pokémon?" Shad asked, surprised.

"Of course I knew! I wouldn't let Professor Elm give you a Pokémon without my permission! See? I've already gotten you an official trainer's license from the Pokémon League!" She produced a card from his bag and showed it to him. It had his trainer ID, his picture, everything! "And," she continued, "I've gotten your bag all set up to take on your trip. Speaking of which, what does Professor Elm want you to do?"

"I have to pick something up from Mr. Pokémon on route 30," Shad said. "I'm sure my bag will come in handy for carrying it back." He slung the messenger bag over his shoulder.

"Don't forget about your Poké Gear! It's all the rage for trainers I hear!" She handed him a blue device and Shad slid it around his wrist, flipping it open. "It's got a phone and a map already built into it, and I've put my cell phone number into it. Make sure to call me when you get there. Also, you've got a potion for healing your Pokémon in your bag, as well as a sandwich for lunch. Don't forget to watch out for wild Pokémon and-"

"I think I've got it, Mom." Shad rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."

"I know, I just worry is all." Shad's mother stood back and folded her hands, sighing. "I'm just so proud of you, already becoming a trainer. I know it's a bit of a journey, but try to be back for dinner, ok?"

"Ok, Mom. I'll call you later." Shad walked out the door, eager to get started. Nick followed closely behind.

"Boy, she sure can blab," Nick said.

"Meh. Mothers. What can you do?" Shad shrugged. As they walked past the lab, Shad noticed a boy with long, red hair peering into one of the windows. He walked over to him, but the boy didn't seem to hear him.

"Professor Elm's lab…" the boy said to himself. "I wonder what kind of rare Pokémon he has in there."

"Uh, hi. What are you doing?" Shad asked.

The boy flinched in surprise. He stumbled over his words, "I-I uh, um, nothing?"

"Why are you peering into Elm's window?" asked Nick, convictingly.

The red haired boy put his hands on his hips. "I don't know, why are YOU sneaking up behind people? Buzz off, nerds! I don't have time to play your games with you!" He hopped over the fence and disappeared into the woods.

"What was HIS problem?" Nick scoffed.

"I don't know, but he's not ours anymore. Let's just get this package."

Together, the two of them walked out of town and into the wild. Shad had read enough about battles to understand how they worked, and so the first few along route 29 were pretty easy. They reached Cherrygrove City in no time.

After an odd experience with a man who showed him around town and gave him a pair of running shoes, Shad decided to leave Nick in the Pokémon Center to rest up while he checked out the Poké Mart for supplies. Much to his disliking, he didn't find any Poké Balls there, but he did stock up on a few potions, paralyze heals, and antidotes. He didn't want his only Pokémon getting caught out in the wilderness without medicine to heal him. He returned to the Pokémon Center to find Nick waiting alone, in the corner.

"How's it going?" Shad asked.

Nick stood up from his seat at the table. "Ok, but let's get going. I want to battle some more, and everybody in here is boring."

Shad laughed. "Ok, let's go."

As they walked along route 30, they came across a house with a peculiar tree next to it. A tiny green fruit sat perched on top of the tree. Just as he was about to pick it, a man popped out from the front door of the house and shouted, "Hey there!"

"Uh, hi," Shad said, perplexed. "This your tree?"

"Yes, but you may take the fruit if you wish! Just make sure to put it into this special box!" He handed Shad something that looked like a cooler you might bring on a picnic. "The fruit are called apricorns, and they can be used for many purposes!"

"Such as?" Nick inquired.

"Eating!" the man answered, running back into his house, slamming the door behind him.

"Oh… kaaaaaay?" Shad said. He and Nick stood their awkwardly, looking at the house, then each other, then back to the house.

"That guy is weird," Nick stated.

"Agreed. Let's get going." They walked together and stayed to east side of the route, heading north. After a few more battles and a bit more walking, they came upon a house. "This must be the place," Shad said.

Sure enough, a sign on the front door read, "Mr. Pokémon's house." Shad knocked on the door and stepped inside, saying, "Hello?" A finely dressed man was seated at a table, facing the door, with another man in a white lab coat sitting across from him.

"Oh, you must be Shad! Professor Elm told me you would be stopping by shortly," said the man, standing up. He walked over to Shad and shook his hand.

"Yes sir, pleased to meet you." Shad nodded respectfully.

"Well then, I mustn't keep you too long with introductions. My name is Mr. Pokémon, and this is a friend of mine." Mr. Pokémon motioned to the stranger on the other side of the room.

The man in the lab coat turned around and Shad recognized him instantly. "Hello," he said with a wave. "My name is Professor Oak."

"THE Professor Oak?" Shad said in astonishment. "Sir, I've read all of your books. I was amazed by your study of Clefairy evolution cycles in Mt. Moon."

Mr. Pokémon laughed. "Well, Oak, it seems you have a fan!"

"It certainly does," said the Pokémon Professor, smiling. "Good to see Elm finding a boy with so much enthusiasm. You two will get along just fine."

"Now then I believe this is what you came for," said Mr. Pokémon. He produced an egg from a drawer and set it on the table.

"An egg?" asked Nick as he examined it.

"Well, yes, an egg," began Mr. Pokémon. "But we believe it to be a very special kind of egg, which will hatch into a rare breed of Pokémon."

"Which Pokémon is that?" asked Shad.

"We don't know. We've never seen an egg of this kind before. We're hoping that Professor Elm may be able to find out what kind it is."

"Why not just crack it open?" Nick picked it up off the table.

"NO!" shouted the three humans in unison. Shad snatched it away from him.

"I was only kidding! Calm down!" Nick laughed.

"Best keep an eye on that one," commented Professor Oak.

"I will sir, and thank you both." Shad put the egg into his bag. He and Nick walked towards the door.

"Good luck Shad!" said Mr. Pokémon.

Professor Oak called out to him as well, "And if you ever find yourself in Pallet Town, make sure to stop by my laboratory!"

"I will! Thanks again." Shad waved goodbye as they started the journey back. After a few more wild Pokémon battles, they reached Cherrygrove City. They rested up briefly in the Pokémon Center and then headed out of town. The sun was nearly setting by then. As they were walking back onto route 29, the red haired boy from earlier came dashing around the corner, looking behind him. He crashed into Shad and the two of them tumbled over each other. The contents of the boy's bag spilled all over the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" shouted Shad, but then he got a good luck at the boy. "Wait, you're that kid from earlier!"

"Yeah, and? I told you, I don't have time for your games. Now move it!" The boy got up off the ground and started picking up his stuff.

Nick picked up the boy's trainer card off the ground and held it out to him. The boy went to grab it, but Nick pulled it back. "Nuh uh, not until you apologize for knocking over my master."

"Yeah right. If that's the way you want it, then I'll just beat you in a battle and take it from you!" The boy pulled a Poké Ball out of his bag. "Go, Chikorita!"

Shad picked himself up and got ready for the battle. "Alright, let's do this."

"Yeah, I love a good fight!" Nick bounced back on and forth on his toes. The two Pokémon didn't know many moves at this point, so it basically became a tussle of scratching and tackling. Nick had enough fights against wild Pokémon to take down the Chikorita without too much of a hassle.

"Yeah! My first trainer victory." Shad pumped his fist into the air.

"Stupid weak Pokémon! Argh, I must have picked the wrong one!" The boy kicked some dirt up and put his fainted Pokémon back in the ball.

"Nah, I'm just too good for you." Nick stuck out his tongue.

"Whatever. Just give me my card back already." The boy went up to Nick and snatched it out of his hand, putting it in his pocket. "See you later, losers!" He made a face and ran off.

Nick scoffed. "He loses, and suddenly WE'RE the losers? What a moron."

Shad laughed. "You said it. Now let's get going! Elm's sure to be waiting for us!"

After a short run they arrive back in New Bark Town. They rushed into the lab, egg in hand, and beheld quite the site. Professor Elm was talking to a policeman and he sounded deeply distressed. Elm's assistant was sitting down in a chair with a white cloth held against his head, but part of it was wet with blood. There was shattered glass on the ground, the result of the broken window, and papers and files were scattered all around the floor.

Shad walked up to Elm, who turned around with an expression very different from his normally cheerful attitude. He sighed and spoke, "Good to see you're back, Shad. Did you get the egg?" Shad nodded. "Well, I wish I could say we fared as well here. Somebody broke into the lab, assaulted my assistant, and then took off with one of my Pokémon!"

The policeman then addressed Shad, "Son, can you tell me where you were between the times of 11 o' clock and-"

"It wasn't him!" came a voice from the doorway. Lyra ran up to them and exclaimed, "It wasn't Shad! I saw a red haired boy running out of the lab a while ago! He went running down route 29. It had to be him."

"Yes, that would make sense," said Shad. "I saw that same boy looking into your lab earlier today, and just a couple minutes ago on the edge of Cherrygrove. He had a Chikorita! Is that the Pokémon you're missing?"

"Yes, that's exactly the one!" confirmed Elm. "There you have it officer. It was a red haired boy, and clearly not Shad. Now if only we knew his name…"

"I do!" said Nick, proudly. "I read it off his trainer card. It's 'Richie', R-I-C-H-I-E."

The policeman wrote it down. "Thank you all. We'll begin our search immediately." He tipped his hat and left.

Professor Elm sighed. "Well, at least they have a lead. Unfortunately that boy is probably in Violet City by now. Oh well, onto the business of the egg!" Shad was surprised at how quickly Elm's demeanor changed back to a happy one after what had just happened. "If you would be so kind as to hand it over." Shad took the egg out of his backpack and gave it to him. "Fascinating, simply fascinating. I'll have a lot of work to do on this one. Now then, since you've performed so well, I dare say that you deserve to keep Totodile for good!"

Nick and Shad highfived.

"On top of that, how would you like to continue working with me on my research?" Elm asked.

"It would by my pleasure, Professor!" Shad responded excitedly.

"Excellent! Then you will need one of these!" Elm produced a red device from his pocket. "It's called a Pokédex! It will give you information on the Pokémon that you will catch along your journey. Now, I have a special assignment. I want you to catch one Pokémon from each new area you come across, but no more than one! Also, you've already seen most of the Pokémon on routes 29 and 30, and I've studied them quite a lot already, so there's no need to catch any from those routes. Are we agreed?"

"Yes sir," said Shad.

Lyra then approached Shad and handed him a pouch. "I'll bet you'll be needing these!" Inside Shad found five Poké Balls. "You can use those to catch wild Pokémon!"

"Thanks Lyra!" said Shad. "I can't wait to build my team!"

"Your team?" she asked.

"Yeah! While I'm out catching Pokemon, I may as well challenge trainers to Pokémon battles, and what better Pokémon to use then the ones I catch?"

"Well then, I suggest you first head to Violet city," said Elm. "There you will find the Flying Gym, and if you can beat it, you'll be rewarded with an official Pokémon League badge! If you can manage to get all eight, you'll be able to challenge the Elite Four in the Pokémon League for a shot at becoming champion!"

"That sounds like a great plan!" said Shad, and then suddenly yawned. "But… I think I'm going to call it a day. I'll start tomorrow."

Elm laughed. "Yes, I suppose that would be wise. It's already dark out. Well, good night, and good luck tomorrow."

Shad thanked Elm and said goodbye to both him and Lyra before returning home with Nick close behind him. After a brief summary of the days' events with his mother, Shad climbed into bed, eager to start his adventure in the morning.

**Well, that's what we have so far! There was a lot to cover in that first chapter, so I promise that if it seems a little slow, it will quickly pick up with some more battles and new Pokémon in the next chapter. For now, please give it a review and tell me which things you liked and which things you didn't! I'm always looking for feedback! And, if you liked it, you can follow it to stay on top of when I update it! Anyway, thanks for reading!**

**~musicfrommykeyboard**


	2. Chapter 2: New Friends

**Well, here's Chapter 2! Lot's going on here, so enjoy your reading!**

Chapter 2: New Friends

Shad woke up sputtering and spitting, waving his hands in front of his face to disrupt the stream of water soaking him. The stream stopped and he wiped the water out of his eyes and blinked. Nick was standing on the foot of his bed, excited.

"Good, you're awake!" he said.

"Of course I'm awake! You nearly drowned me!" Shad cried out. "What'd you do that for?"

"I didn't want you to oversleep! C'mon, it's time to catch some Pokémon!" Nick jumped off the bed and ran around eagerly as Shad pulled himself up from the blankets.

"D'ya ever think to just say my name or shake me or something?" Shad mumbled to himself, "Wish he hadn't learned water gun so soon…" After drying off his face and getting dressed, he put on his glasses, picked up his bag, already packed, and headed downstairs with Nick at his heels. There was his mother, making breakfast, like she always was. "Good morning, Mother!" he said.

She smiled and looked up from the counter. She said to him, "Good morning, Shad! Up already?"

"Yep!" Nick answered for him. "C'mon, let's go."

"Dude, food first," Shad objected, still slightly drowse.

"You picked up some apricorns yesterday, you can eat those!" Nick tugged at Shad's arm, but Shad slipped out of his grasp and sat down at the table.

"Why are you in such a rush, Nick?" said Shad as he ate some cereal. "The Pokémon aren't going anywhere."

"But I HATE waiting!" Nick sat down and pouted by the door while Shad finished his breakfast. As Shad stood up from the table, Nick asked, "Now?"

"Nope, gotta say goodbye to Mom, first!" Shad and his mother exchanged hugs.

"Make sure you call me every so often, OK?" his mother said. "I'll be here alone, worrying about you the whole time, you know."

"You don't need to worry, and I promise I'll call, OK?" Shad hugged her quickly. He was as tall as she was by now.

She separated the two of them and rubbed Shad's arm. "Alright. Goodbye Shad," She notably blinked her eyes and swallowed. "Good luck out there!" she said, forcing a smile onto her face.

"I love you, Mom," Shad said.

Shad's mother choked down a cry and a single tear escaped her eye. "I love you too, honey! Promise me you'll be safe?"

Shad nodded. "I promise." With that, Shad and Nick exited the house and walked over to Professor Elm's lab.

Elm was working on some broken equipment from the day before. He looked over as the door opened and set down his tools. He walked over to Shad and said, "Well, Shad, ready to get going?"

Shad nodded. "Yes sir, all set! I just stopped by to go over everything again."

The professor put his hand on his chin for a moment and then spoke. "Well, let's see… I guess I can go over basics. As a trainer, you can carry up to six Pokémon with you at a time. The rest are stored in the universal PC system, and you can switch out Pokémon at any Pokémon Center. You can begin catching Pokémon on route 31, and from then on every new area you come across, one from each area. Take your hurt Pokémon to Pokémon Centers to have them healed by the nurses and doctors. You'll be heading to Violet City, I imagine, to challenge the first gym, but don't think you have to challenge it right when you get there. Look around, maybe catch Pokémon from the surrounding areas first, and make sure to train well, because gym leaders are quite skilled. And… I think that's it! Any questions?"

"None whatsoever, Professor Elm! Thanks!" Shad shook his hand. "Well, I'm off! Let's go, Nick!"

"Finally! Let's go battle some Pokémon!" Nick jumped into the air and pumped his fist.

"Good luck out there, Shad!" called Elm to the departing duo.

"I will, thanks again!" Shad waved behind and then strolled out of town. He and Nick waded through the grass and easily beat the wild Pokémon they encountered. Nick was growing strong! They passed through Cherrygrove and went onto route 30, this time taking the west path leading to route 31. Suddenly, they were stopped by a kid in a baseball cap and shorts.

"Hey, you're a trainer, right? My name's Joey!" the kid said.

"Yeah, I'm a trainer. My name's Shad. Nice to meet you Joey!" Shad was surprised when Joey turned his hat around backwards and stepped back.

"Alrighty then! If you're a trainer, we should battle each other!" Joey said as he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Um… do we have-" Shad was cut off by Nick.

Nick jumped out in front of Shad and took a rather silly fighting stance. "Oh yeah, a trainer battle! Let's go, kid!"

"Nice Pokémon you've got there!" Joey said. "I don't mean to brag, but I think I might have this battle won. My Rattata's not an ordinary Rattata. In fact, I'd say it's in the top percentage of-"

"Let's get on with it!" shouted Nick.

"Alright, here we go!" Joey threw his Poké Ball and out came a fierce looking Rattata.

"Ok Nick! Use water gun!" Shad commanded.

Nick's blast sent the Rattata flying. It stood up, dazed, and used Leer, giving Nick a hard stare.

"Great, now use quick attack!" shouted Joey.

Faster than Shad's eyes could follow, the Rattata darted forward and slammed into an unwary Nick, who was thrown off his feet. He shook it off and used water gun again, this time knocking the Rattata out. Shad breathed a sigh of relief. Well, there's his first trainer won. Nick jumped for joy as Joey called his Rattata back into its ball.

"Wow, that was a great battle!" said Joey. "We should exchange numbers so we can meet up and battle again sometime!"

"Sure, why not?" replied Shad. They got the numbers and Shad and Nick moved on. After a couple more easy trainer battles, they arrived on Route 31. "Alright, Nick! Ready to catch a Pokémon?"

"You bet I am! I hope it's something strong." Nick said, excited.

"Me too, but we have to be careful here. We only get one shot at it, so don't go overboard. We can't knock it out, so please mind yourself." Nick nodded and they entered the tall grass. Shortly, they encountered a wild Metapod.

"Ok Nick, let's go! Hit it with a tackle!" Shad commanded. Nick did so and the Metapod hardened its shell. After several more attacks, it seemed in a weakened enough state. Shad pulled out a Poké Ball. "Well, here goes!" He kissed it for luck and threw it. It made contact with the Metapod and pulled it inside. With a few rolls and a click, it was caught!

"Yes! We got it!" Shad up to the ball and picked it up. "Well, let's meet our new teammate!" He sent it out. Although tired, it was still very much alert. Shad crouched down next to it and said, "Hey there, Metapod. How are you doing?"

The Metapod produced a muffled sound and rocked back and forth.

"What's the matter, can't talk?" asked Nick.

The Metapod blinked and made a sound resembling, "Hmm mm," and rocked side to side.

"Huh, I guess it can't talk while inside its shell!" observed Shad. "Well, we still have to come up with a name for you, although I don't know if you're a boy or a girl. Here, grunt once for boy, and twice for girl."

"Hmm," the Metapod said.

"A boy, huh?" Shad thought for a moment. "How about 'Patrick'? How does that sound? Once for good, twice for bad."

"Hmm!" he replied enthusiastically. Shad thought he could see the eyes smiling back at him.

Nick sighed. "Well, what do we do now? He can't fight, so how do we use him?"

"Well, we just have to let him evolve, you see?" Shad offered. "Once he evolves, he'll be a really strong Butterfree! Won't you, Patrick?"

"Mmm hmm!" Patrick said.

"See? All we gotta do is keep him around battles and stuff and pretty soon, he'll be super strong! Bug Pokémon can be very helpful, since they evolve so quickly!"

Shad's answer satisfied Nick. Shad put Patrick back in his ball and they continued on through the grass. Once they reached the other side, they noticed an opening to a cave.

Nick pointed to it, saying, "Hey, that counts as a new area, right? Let's go catch a Pokémon in there!"

"Sure, maybe we'll find a rock type in there!" Shad said. They walked up, and while doing so, Shad commented, "It sure looks dark in there." He read the sign next to the entrance. "What do you know? 'Dark Cave'. Ha." They cautiously entered it, and it became clear very quickly that they shouldn't go far, seeing as they didn't have a light source. They walked slowly through when Shad heard a noise. "Hold up!" he whispered.

Nick froze. "What's up?" he asked.

"I heard something! It sounded like a squeak. Above us." Shad pointed up. Suddenly, there was a *plop* sound nearby.

"Augh! Gross!" shouted Nick. "Ew! Something dripped onto my head. It's not water!" He sprayed water into his hands and rubbed it all over his scalp. They both stopped as they heard a high-pitched laugh.

"Ha ha ha! Did you like that? There's more where that came from!" the voice said, coming from the left.

"Who's there?" asked Shad, looking over to the origin of the voice.

"Nobody, because now I'm over here!" the voice said, coming from their right.

"Show yourself!" demanded Nick.

"Now why would I do that?" There was a flutter overhead and then another *plop*.

"Augh! Stop doing that!" Nick sprayed himself again.

"It's gotta be a Zubat!" said Nick. "I'm not sure how we can get him in the dark though."

"A clever observation," the voice said. "But now I think it's time for a little more fun!" Suddenly, there was a high screeching sound, causing Shad and Nick to both cover their ears. It was dizzying and confusing.

"Nick, try to hit it with a water gun!" shouted Shad.

Nick looked around frantically. "I can't see it! Where do I shoot?"

"Try to follow the source of the sound," Shad offered.

"Ah, but that won't work, you see." The sonic waves stopped. "We're in a cave, and the sound will echo around in all directions. I could be over here," the voice came from one area, "or perhaps over here!" and it came from another. "You see? You're as blind as I am in here, only I can still see you with sound!"

"Sound… sound, that's IT!" Nick said, in epiphany. "Nick, yell as loud as you can!"

"My pleasure!" replied Nick. The two of them screamed at the top of their lungs, filling the cave with loud noise. The distressed Zubat tumbled around and bashed into rocks and walls, eventually flopping down to the ground nearby, covering its ears.

"Now, use tackle!" said Shad, pointing to the Zubat. Nick threw himself into it, crushing it against the rocks. "Alright, get ready to be caught, Zubat!" Shad threw a Poké Ball, catching it. "Yeah, two for two!"

"Boy, that took some work," said Nick, still out of breath from shouting.

"Ok, let's meet our little trouble maker outside!" They walked out and Shad released it from the ball.

The Zubat fluttered up, saying, "Wow, that was clever! You must be pretty smart!"

"Thanks," Shad replied. "You weren't so bad either, using your environment to give yourself an advantage."

"What can I say?" the Zubat said, smiling.

"Well, it's time to give you a name. I think 'Saibaman' will do just fine."

"Saibaman…" the Zubat said, rolling it over his tongue. "Yeah, I like it!"

"Alright, welcome to the team," Nick said.

"Thanks!" Saibaman nodded.

Shad smiled and said, "Well, I think it's time to get to Violet City. How about you?"

Nick and Saibaman agreed. After a brief trainer fight against a bug trainer, they arrived in Violet City. Firstly, they went to the Pokémon Center to rest up. After that, they all took a stroll with Shad carrying Patrick and the other Pokémon out of their balls. They briefly stepped inside the gym to look around, noted the tower across the bridge over the pond, and visited the Poké Mart to stock up on items. After that, they all sat down together to decide what to do next.

"I think we should go challenge the gym! I bet I could beat everybody all by myself!" said Nick proudly.

Shad scoffed. "Well, even if you could, which I highly doubt, then we'd still need to train everyone else as well. After all, if something were to happen to you, just by bad luck, then the rest of the team would go down with you. No, we'll need to do some serious training first. In fact, I'd say I won't even consider challenging the gym until you're evolved, Patrick."

"Mmm," Patrick grunted in agreement.

"Don't forget," said Saibaman. "There are other areas around here that you haven't caught a Pokémon from yet, like on the other side of town. We just might get someone really strong."

"That's an excellent point," agreed Shad. "As it stands, we don't have anybody on the team that has a clear advantage over flying types. Let's go catch another Pokémon, then!"

Shad stood up and returned Saibaman and Patrick into their balls. He and Nick then walked through town to the southwest side and went onto route 32. They found the nearest patch of grass and wadded through it until they found a Pokémon. They came across a wild Mareep, who was very startled by them. It whipped around and growled fiercely. Nick tackled it and damaged it a decent amount, but was paralyzed from its static.

"Ha _ha_! Gotcha now!" the Mareep shouted as it charged towards Nick. Shad threw a Poké Ball before it could reach him though. He was pulled inside and cried, "Hey, no fair!" The ball rocked back and forth for what seemed like minutes until it finally clicked.

"Boy, he sure put up a fight," said Shad, breathing a sigh of relief. He used a paralyze heal on Nick. "At least I didn't have to use a second ball."

"Well, c'mon then, let him out and let's meet him!" said Nick excitedly.

Shad released the Mareep, who seemed a bit disoriented at first, but then shook his head clear. His first reaction to seeing Shad and Nick right next to him was to tense up, but he relaxed when he saw them smiling. He timidly said, "Uh, hi."

"Hi!" said Shad. "My name's Shad!"

"And I'm Nick!" chimed in the blue Pokémon.

"Welcome to the team." Shad extended his open hand. The Mareep cautiously took his hand, then smiled when Shad gently shook it and patted him on the head. "Well," Shad continued, "I guess we'll need a name for you. Something with a spark…"

"Like… Zach?" suggested Mareep.

"Yes, that's perfect!" Shad exclaimed. "I'll call you Zachary!"

Nick was ecstatic. "Now we have an electric Pokémon! We're sure to beat the flying gym now!"

"You're challenging the gyms?" asked Zachary.

"Mm hmm," nodded Shad. "and we're going to need your help. Do you think you're up to it?"

"You'd want me to join you? You really think I can do it?" Zachary asked in disbelief.

"Sure, of course I do!"

Zachary jumped for joy. "Wow! I get to battle trainers and gym leaders and have friends! I won't let you down, Shad."

"Great, then let's get to training!"

The team went back to route 31 to train against some of the weaker wild Pokémon. Shad made sure to keep Patrick around the battles so he could gain some experience. After another random battle, Shad suddenly lost sight of Patrick.

"Hey guys, anybody seen where Patrick went?" Shad asked his Pokémon.

"No, is he missing?" asked Nick.

Shad furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure," he said. "We'd better look for him."

"Hey, Patrick! Where are you?" Zachary called out.

"He can't talk, Zach." Saibaman rolled his eyes. "How is he going to tell us where he is?"

Zach stuttered but then stopped. He sighed, "I don't know…"

"Don't worry about it, Zach," said Shad. "We'll just go look for him. He can't have gone far."

The four of them walked around the area for a few minutes. Saibaman flew up and after a moment he called out to the rest of the team, "Hey, I found him! He's at the bottom of this hill!"

They followed Saibaman down the hill and found Patrick lying in a patch of thick grass. Shad ran up and picked him up. "Wow, Patrick, are you ok?" Patrick was silent as usual, but he looked alright. "You must have rolled down the hill while I wasn't looking. Tough break bud. Let's get back to training."

They resumed their battling, but soon Patrick disappeared again.

"Let's check the bottom of the hill again," suggested Shad. "Maybe we should train so close to it."

Sure enough, they found Patrick down the hill again, in a slightly different spot. Shad swore he could hear him snickering through his cocoon.

"Alright guys, I guess it's time for a break," Shad said. "Let's head back into town."

While the other Pokémon were resting up, Zachary approached Shad and said, "Hey Shad, do you think the other Pokémon like me?"

Shad hadn't expected to hear that. Surprised, he responded, "Of course they do Zachary, why do you ask? Has Saibaman been teasing you?"

"No, no, it's just… They don't try to talk to me at all. I feel like they don't respect me."

"Nonsense! I mean really, we've only been together for this one afternoon. They'll warm up to you, I promise."

"Do you like me, Shad?"

Shad was a bit saddened by this question. He smiled softly and bent down, rubbing his hand through Zach's fur. "Zach, we've known each other for only a couple hours, but I can tell we're already going to be great friends. After we finish training today, let's go do something together, all of us. We've worked hard today."

"Yeah, ok!" Zachary nods. "I'll make sure to work extra hard during training! I won't let you down, Shad."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You try your best, that's all I can ask for."

The two of the joined up with the rest of the team and went back to route 31. They continued training, and Zachary put in extra effort.

"Are you sure you don't need a break, Zachary?" Shad asked.

Zachary nodded. "Yeah, Just one more battle. Then I'll take a break."

"Ok, if you're sure." Shad could see Zachary struggling, but he didn't want to hurt his confidence because he couldn't last as many battles as Nick or Saibaman without needing a break. Shad was paying extra attention to Zachary to make sure he didn't get hurt.

After some more time, Shad casually looked over to Patrick. He was rocking back and forth, rolling himself towards the slope of the hill. "Patrick, no, don't roll off again!" Shad chased after him and scooped him up. Patrick grumbled. "Hey!" Shad scolded, pointing a finger at him. "Stop with the mischief! I know you're bored while the rest of us our training, but you need to be patient."

Just then, Shad heard an ear-splitting scream. He froze. "Oh no, Zach!" He raced back up the hill, setting Patrick on the ground. When he reached the top, he couldn't believe his eyes. A Rattata was biting into Zachary's side, tearing his side wide open with its huge teeth.

"Shad! Help me!" Zachary cried.

"Get away from him!" Shad roared as he charged at the two wrestling Pokémon. He threw himself at the Rattata and punched it as hard as he could, over and over until it let go. He lifted the Rattata off and threw it into the woods and immediately got down on his knees to inspect Zachary's wounds. Blood was pouring everywhere, staining his yellow coat crimson red. "Hold on, Zach! We'll get you to the Pokémon center!" Shad picked him up and ran as fast as he could. Nick found Patrick and carried him behind them.

Zachary wailed in pain, hyperventilating. "Shad, please, I'm scared! Make it stop!" he cried.

"Stay with me, Zach! We're almost there!" They broke through the gate to the city and Shad ran straight for the Pokémon Center. "Move! Get out of the way!" he yelled as sprinted. He dared a look back down at Zachary, and to his dismay he found him unconscious, eyes rolled back in his head, half closed. He burst through the Pokémon Center doors and ran up to the counter, screaming, "Nurse! Nurse, come quick! My Pokémon's hurt!"

The nurse took Zachary out of his arms. "Oh my word," she cried. "Prepare the ER! We have a badly hurt Pokémon!" She ran through a door labeled "Emergency Room" and was quickly followed by other doctors and nurses.

"Please, save him!" Shad shouted after them. Just then Nick and Saibaman burst through the Pokémon Center doors with Patrick in Nick's arms. "You made it! I'm so worried, Zach is hurt really bad!"

"How? What happened?" cried Saibaman.

"A Rattata ripped open his side! It happened so fast, I don't know how, but I looked away for one moment and then it just… I can't believe this is actually happening." Shad paced back and forth, his hands running through his hair.

"He'll be ok, Shad! The doctors can help!" reassured Nick. "We just have to wait and hope for the best."

"You… you're right. He'll be ok," Shad told himself. He sat down at a table and waited. Several times Nurses would run out the ER door and into another, only to reemerge moments later with more medical supplies. Shad stood up and paced around the room, trying to calm himself down, but to no avail. He simply got more and more anxious. "Please, Zachary, please! Be ok!" he pleaded. He sat back down and tried to push away the thoughts creeping their way into the forefront of his consciousness.

After what seemed like hours, the first nurse came out of the ER and walked up to Shad. Her grave expression told Shad all he needed to know, but still she spoke. "I'm sorry sir. We tried all we could. We… couldn't revive your Pokémon."

"He's… he's dead…?" Shad stared at the ground in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry. There was nothing more we could do. We'll have the body ready for burial, if you'd like."

"I… Zach… I…" Shad tried to force out a response, but he couldn't muster up the strength.

"Yes please, Ma'am," said Nick. The nurse nodded and rushed back to the ER. Nick hugged Shad's leg. Shad choked on a tear, trying to hold it in, but he broke down. He cried at the table, his remaining Pokémon huddled around him.

"I can't believe he's dead," Shad said in between sobs. "I took my eyes away for just one moment and… it just all happened so fast and I… guys, I don't know what to do…"

"What can we do?" asked Saibaman.

Nick sighed. "All we can do for him is say goodbye… and bury him. I hate to say it Shad, but it has to be done."

Shad sniffed and nodded. "Then let's say goodbye."

. . .

Zachary was buried on route 31, near where they had trained just earlier that day. It felt like ages ago, not hours. Shad and his Pokémon stood at the foot of the grave in silence. Shad stepped forward and spoke.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you Zachary," he said. "You needed a close friend, someone to look after you while you looked after them. I couldn't protect you. But I vow from now on to do whatever I can to protect the rest of my friends. Goodbye, Zach…"

Nick stepped forward as Shad backed away. "Hey Zach… I just wanted to say that I really liked you. I don't know why, but you just made me want to smile. That's all I have to say."

Saibaman sighed. "I suppose I should say something too. Zachary, you seemed like a pretty cool guy. I respect you and the work you put in. You had a lot of trouble keeping up with us, but you did it anyway. I guess now you can rest after all your work. Goodbye."

Shad placed a couple flowers by the wooden board that served as a headstone. He stood up and sighed. It was already dark outside. They'd have to spend the night in Violet City. Before he headed there, he put everyone back in their Poké Balls, one by one. Patrick came last. He didn't make eye contact with Shad.

But a single tear fell down his hard shell as he stared at Zachary's grave.

**End of Chapter Team Report**

Nick/TOTODILE, Lv. 9

Patrick/METAPOD, Lv. 7

Saibaman/ZUBAT, Lv. 8

**Dead**  
Zachary/MAREEP, Lv. 6-7

**  
Well, what's done is done. The first death is over. Please leave a review with your thoughts, suggestions, compliments, whatever you feel needs to be said. If you like what you've read, give the story a favorite or follow it to stay on top of future chapters! As always, thanks for reading!**

~musicfrommykeyboard


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